Gardening tool



May 29, 1951 1 o. s. KETTEL GARDENING TOOL Filed July 15. 1949 Daniel 6. Katie! IN V ENTOR.

Patented May 29, 1951 UNI TED S TATES PATEN T O F F I C E 2,554,911 GARDENING TOOL Daniel 1G. Kettel, Port Angeles, 'Wash. ApplicationJuly 15, 1949,, Serial .No. 104,876

This invention relates to garden tools, and

more particularly pertains to an improved tool of the type having .a blade with which a moving jaw coacts forcutting, picking 111),01'117118 like. The primary object of the present invention'is to providea device enabling the user, while standing upright, to :grasp, pluck, or out objects at a distance; that requires only one hand to operate, and which will .especially facilitate working underfoot, oVerhead or in locations ordinarily difficult to reach.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a device in accordance with the foregoing object that will be inexpensive, simple and easy to operate, and light enough to be easily carried about.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the means for closing and opening the jaw, and in the moving parts being enclosed.

Another important feature lies in a construction permitting replacement of the jaw or blade with others moresuited'for a particular purpose, such as ,gathering fruit.

These, together with various ancillary objects and advantages of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds are attained by the present invention, a preferred embodiment of which has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the gardening tool;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the gardening tool, showing the same with parts broken away and partially in section to illustrate the internal arrangements; and,

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a modified form of blade.

Reference is now made more specifically to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, and in which the numeral indicates a thin walled tube, preferably aluminum or low density alloy, threaded at the upper end and having transversely extending ears I2 brazed thereon as shown in Figure 1.

As shown in Figure 2 a sleeve [4 fits snugly in side the lower portion of the tube I0, and extends from the lower end thereof. The sleeve I4 is preferably iron and is brazed or otherwise suitably secured to the tube Ill. The lower end of the sleeve I4 is tapered as at I6 and is bifurcated to receive an edge of the blade 18, the latter being releasably held in place as 'by the screw 20.

A rod 22 is carried in the tube In and is longi- 2 Claims. (01. 2942) tudinally slidable through a bore 265 in a wooden plug'ZB whichis retained in the tube by screws 23 that hold .collar in position on the tube ii]. The lower end of the rod has an enlarged portion 32 which slidingly extends into the sleeve M.

A pivot arm 34, bent as at'36, is pivoted between the ears l2; as by pivot pin 38. The lower end of the pivot arm 34 is fastened to a jaw 40, by rivets '42; however, screws may be used if it is desired to use jaws of different design.

A slot 12 is provided through the tube Ii] and sleeve M, and a transverse aperture 44 is provided in the enlarged portion '32. The pivot arm extends through the slot 42 and has an enlarged end portion 45 which is slidingly received in the aperture 34. In the preferred construction it is desired that the enlarged end 46 of the arm 34 be circular as shown in Figure 2, and inaddition be approximately rectangular in transverse section; the aperture 44 being of corresponding dimensions'for apurpose to be set forth hereinafter.

The blade 18 and the jaw 4e are preferably made of stainless steel, and are shaped with sharpened curved tipslfi and 553; howeverit is obvious that they maybe made in a limitless variety of forms, for example, they may be concaved so as to form a pocket when closed. Figure 3 illustrates a modified form of blade 52 having tines E l, which may be used instead of blade l8, that may be used as a fork or digging tool.

A handle is formed at the upper end of the tube It) by the U-shaped strip 56, to the legs of which is attached a bar 58. The strip is provided with an opening which embraces the upper end of the tube l 0, and the strip is retained on the tube l0 between the nut 69 and the collar 30. The upper end of the rod 22 forms a loop 62, which is used in conjunction with the handle. It will be seen in Figure 2 that movement of the loop 62 towards the bar 58 causes the jaw to close, or open if the loop is moved in the reverse direction. The loop is yieldingly urged downwardly toward the open jaw position by a compression spring 64 that embraces the rod and is seated between the plug 2% and a ring $8 secured to the rod 22.

It is to be noted that while the horizontal movement of the end portion 49 in the aperture allows lost motion between the pivot arm 34 and the rod 22, there is no positive action between them. This is true as the circular end portion is, regardless of rod position, in contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the aperture 44. The rectangular transverse section of the end portion 45 in the similarly contoured aperture 44 prevents rotation of rod 22, thus maintaining the loop 62 and the bar 58 in proper angular relationship.

As the force exerted between the jaw 40 and the blade [8 is not dependent on the length of the tube, it is obvious that the present invention may be employed in tools of various length.

It will be readily appreciated that the present invention will prove a boon to fruit pickers by furnishing them an extended mechanical arm, thus avoiding the danger of using ladders and the trouble of moving them. The device will be of value for a myriad of other uses, such as prun ing thorny shrubbery, weeding, cultivating and the like.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilledin the art after a consideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawing, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A gardening tool comprising an elongated tube, a blade carried at the lower end of the tube, said tube having a longitudinal slot adjacent its lower end, said slot having top and bottom edges, laterally extending ears secured to the tube on opposite sides of the slot, an angulated arm received between the ears and pivoted thereto intermediate'its ends, a jaw carried by the outer end of the arm and adapted to cooperate with the blade to grasp an object therebetween, an actuating rod in said tube having an enlarged lower end, said enlarged lower end of the rod having a recess opening out of the side thereof, the arm extending from its pivot through the longitudinal slot and having its inner end received in the recess, whereby longitudinal reciprocation of the rod causes swinging movement of the jaw towards and from the blade, said top and bottom edges of the slot limiting swinging means at the upper ends of the tube and the rod for moving the rod, and resilient means in the tube operatively connecting the tube and the rod and yieldingly urging the rod in one direction.

2. A gardening tool comprising an elongated tube, a tubular member secured in the lower end of the tube and projecting downwardly therefrom, a blade carried at the lower end of the tubular member, the overlapping portions of the tube and the tubular member having registering longitudinal slots therein'that have top and bottom edges, ears secured to and projecting laterally from the tube on the opposite sides of said slots, an angulated arm received between the ears and pivoted thereto intermediate its ends, a jaw carried by the outer end of the arm, an actuating rod in the tube having an enlarged lower end slidably received in the tubular member, said enlarged lower end of the rod having a recess opening out of the side thereof, the arm extending from its pivot through the longitudinal slots and having its inner end received in the recess, whereby longitudinal reciprocation of the rod actuates swinging movement of-the arm, said top and bottom edges limiting swinging movement of the arm to prevent disengagement of its inner end from the recess, cooperating means at the upper ends of the tube and the rod for moving the rod, and resilient means in the tube operatively connecting the tube and the rod and yieldingly urging the rod in one direction.

DANIEL G. KETIEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,245,924 Johnson Nov. 6, 1917 2,087,128 Stalker July 13, 1937 

